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Re: Poll: Would you wear a hakama with its knee(s) patched in your aikido dojo?

Patching the knees one time is paying gratitude and respect to the hakama for its service. Once the patches have worn through, both sides have come to the agreement and bow out, and the entire hakama is replaced with a new one. This simply seems like the true story of the life of a hakama.
In gassho

Re: Poll: Would you wear a hakama with its knee(s) patched in your aikido dojo?

The military encouraged me, as only they can, to wear my uniforms well. I have a steady job, so money is not an issue. I found that 65% polyester/35% cotton holds up better, and I don't train as often as many of you do.

At work, where I clerk for a large corporation I dress terribly. Long story, but it prevents unwanted promotion.

Re: Poll: Would you wear a hakama with its knee(s) patched in your aikido dojo?

My dojo has hakama for yudansha and instructors only. But you can become an instructor rather suddenly, and if you are kyu rank and don't own a hakama, someone will dig one up to lend you. If it has holes in the knees, well, wear it with pride.

If my own got like that, though, I would order another one. I saw a senior student's loaner hakama go from "small holes in knees" to "rag bin" in the course of one ukemi recently....

Re: Poll: Would you wear a hakama with its knee(s) patched in your aikido dojo?

Mary,

will you tell about that ukemi please?

One day in judo class Sensei devised a new technique: Grip the tail at the bottom of the gi, pull, and circle uke up your back! Senior student rolled his eyes uncharacteristically. I was intrigued, but outranked (of course), and in the next few moments heard the sound of gis tearing all around me, including my own.

Sensei walked back out, smiled his biggest grin, and said "Ah, more gi sales." I stepped right up to purchase a new gi, was handed back ten dollars and instructed by Sensei to run to the deli across the street, and get him a chicken sandwich, 'hold the mustard, and.....nevermind you'll forget, they know how I like it.'

Re: Poll: Would you wear a hakama with its knee(s) patched in your aikido dojo?

I've found with both hakamas and gi pants that once the hole starts it will get bigger very rapidly. The hole in mine once doubled in size in one training session and I wasn't even playing that rough. Once it's big enough for your knee to start poking through it's a goner and you'll need either a very large patch (good job Bujin!) or a new hakama.

Re: Poll: Would you wear a hakama with its knee(s) patched in your aikido dojo?

Quote:

Lynn Seiser wrote:

To regular practice, yes.
For seminars or ceremonies, no.

Ditto.

Also, I tend to wear out the hem of my hakama before anything else (helps me remember to keep my knees bent if I am brushing/dragging the hem on the mat), so while I may not have patches on the knees, I usually have a band around the bottom where the hem has been replaced. I do have one very faded hakama with both knees patched, the hem resewn, and the panels where the himo's tie around patched due to wearing through; generally gets some smiles.

Re: Poll: Would you wear a hakama with its knee(s) patched in your aikido dojo?

What rule against hemp products? They make hakama out of wool, silk, rayon, polyester, cotton, etc. I've never heard of linen hakama (would probably wrinkle too easily), but hemp, or a hemp-silk blend, could be very nice.

Re: Poll: Would you wear a hakama with its knee(s) patched in your aikido dojo?

Quote:

David Knowlton wrote:

I found that 65% polyester/35% cotton holds up better, and I don't train as often as many of you do.

I have found this to be true as well. Other guys at my dojo have had the same hakama for ten years and there seems to be minimal wear and no holes.... just the occasional rip!!

As for gis getting holes in them, I have never had this happen on a good japanese brand. I have been wearing Mitsuboshi K-400s for about 6 years now. The ones that are 6 years old barely have any wear on them even though I wore the same one to class 3 to 4 times per week. I washed it after every class, just didn't use any bleach. I would highly recommend them to anyone if anyone was looking for a quality gi!!!